being domestic

There are some days when I am really very good at being domestic.  I get up early, do chores like laundry or dishwasher-unloading, cook something, and all while having music playing in the background and scented candles burning.  And then there are days where all I want to do is watch reruns of whatever Housewives series is playing on Bravo while huddled under an afghan on the sofa.  Today is a mix of one of those days.  Mostly because I can't find anything I want to watch on television.

When I lived alone, lazy days were nothing.  Being married, I now feel the need to err on the side of domesticity.  And when I don't reach domestic goddess status on a day off (especially on a day the hubby is working), I feel guilty.  I always have big plans.  Cakes I can bake.  Soups I can make.  Rooms I can clean.  Stacks I can organize.

Today I have: 1) cleaned up the breakfast dishes (from a breakfast the hubby cooked before work) and 2) unloaded/loaded the dishwasher.  And it is 2:00 in the afternoon.  There is a whole list of things I also need to do today, but instead I sit playing with photo effects on Picasa and catching up on months' worth of blog reading.

I am not a domestic goddess role model today.  Martha would be very disappointed in me.

thinking back

Autumn officially starts tomorrow and so I've been thinking back on the summer that we've had.  Boy, I wouldn't say that it was boring.
~ We made wedding decisions and sent out invitations for our September 29 wedding (right around the corner!)
~ We had a beach vacation with my family and a trip to Staunton, Virginia for the beau's birthday
~ We moved in together and began negotiating the whole co-habitating thing (schedules, cleaning, cooking, etc.)
~ We survived some family drama, like my grandmother's health complications and move to assisted living, as well as some other things
~ We enjoyed our respective bachelor and bachelorette events with our good friends

And now we are heading into a new season and a whole new set of experiences:  newlywed life.

But before that happens we have some good friends getting married this weekend (one of our matchmakers, to be exact) and so we are looking forward to a weekend of fun.  It is a potluck wedding in Eastern Virginia and I'm making my friend Christine's Chickpeas with Couscous to take along.

Have a great weekend everyone!

winning the girls over

The house seriously looks like a bomb has gone off and my parents are coming to visit this weekend.  And staying in a hotel.  But all in all the co-habitating thing is going a-okay.  (The beau may answer differently.)  We've been eating dinner together every night when he gets home, often with me having a glass of wine while I cook.  Won't be good for my waistline in the long run, but we have so much red wine in the wine rack, that really I'm doing our household a service.

And on a side note related to my last post about this week's menu, make the lentil walnut loaf.  It is so good.  I'm drooling thinking about the leftover slice in the fridge right now.

In the world of cats, Gracie and Colette are doing fine adjusting to another person in the house full-time.  They are especially happy because the beau now knows their feeding schedule, plus when we moved my dresser over to make room for his, we found all their Rosie Rat toys.  We know how to win the girls over...

Enjoy the holiday weekend!

herbs, packing, and a power outage

I am overrun with herbs right now.  Mint, oregano, basil, sage, and rosemary.  In pink and yellow vintage pots in the kitchen and out in the garden too.  I've not been cooking a whole lot this summer, as we don't have a CSA subscription and I always seem to be on the road somewhere - to Richmond; up to Maryland; to Alexandria.  I am looking forward to the craziness of a long-distance relationship, Grandma moving, and wedding planning settling down.  We were looking for a new rental house, but at this point have scrapped that plan for the current one:  the beau moves into my rental house and we get settled enough to buy a house in less than one year.  Our realtor recommended buying within a year and it just seemed silly to pack and move to another rental just to move again.  I hate moving.

But now comes the fun of packing and moving some of my stuff up into the attic (or donating to local charities).  I have more clothes than I really need/use; my shoes are out of control; and magazines are everywhere.  I am excited for the challenge.  I am extra excited to have the beau living under the same roof.  Just need to get started on the packing (amidst the previously mentioned long-distance relationship, Grandma moving, and wedding planning).

This weekend we had a scheduled family girls' weekend surrounding a bridal luncheon thrown by my future sister-in-law and her aunt.  My mother, sister-in-law, and two of my mother's best friends were coming down to visit, we were going to do the luncheon, go shopping, out to dinner, even to see Magic Mike.  But alas, a scary storm came through on Friday night and knocked out power to my house, the bridal luncheon locale, and the hotel where everyone was staying.  So needless to say, things got a little messed up.  Although the luncheon was still lovely (albeit in another location), travel took twice as long as expected, none of the cute boutiques were open for shopping, and the girls ended up driving home the same night instead of the planned overnight.  A bit of a bummer.

Power is back on at my house now, so I am excited for a little coolness today as I get some household chores done and do some more wedding planning work.  Then it's on the road again this afternoon...

uneventful

Well quite a bit has transpired since my last post here, although really nothing major has occurred.  Memorial Day weekend the parents met - over a lovely dinner at Tru Luv's and brunch at Foode (the beau's parents are divorced, so we had two different events).  And then on Monday I was without house guests and the beau had to work, and so I was left to my own devices and I sat on the couch, scoped out wedding photographers online, and watched a whole lot of "Bethenny Ever After" on Bravo.  It was wonderful.

And then this past weekend I a) went wedding dress shopping with my mother and b) met our likely wedding photographer with the beau.  Intermixed with that has been family drama (Grandma in the hospital again) and car drama (my car is in the shop right now; the beau got a flat when we drove to meet the photographer).  But all in all pretty uneventful.  Oh, there were some tornado warnings thrown in there too.

just a touch

One of the quirky things about my little 1940s/50s rental house is this massive floor grate smack dab in the middle of the house.  Beneath it is a behemoth of a gas-powered heater.  And even when the heat is not running, the pilot light gives off just a touch of warmth.  In the summer months I sometimes place a washable IKEA rug over the grate, which protects bare feet from the metal bars, but also provides a perfect haven for the cats.  They take turns spreading themselves over the grate and napping through the day.  Kind of like finding a shifting spot of sunshine, but with a lot less work.

When we move, I will miss a few things about my little rental house.  The floor grate  and its imperfect heating isn't one of them.  But I'm betting the cats will have a different opinion.

deep breath

I do believe summertime has arrived in Virginia.  At last.  Of course it has arrived at the exact time that I have realized my car's air conditioning system did not survive the winter.  I'm sure that's a cheap problem to fix (sigh).  So, I'll revel in the warmth and humidity for now and just be glad that I can truly pack away the sweatshirts and slippers.

Although we don't have any serious decisions made, we know that I am moving out of my little two bedroom house.  At least I assume I am (and he's not moving in).  Pending finding another place to live, of course.  I am pretty proud of myself in my handling of all the uncertainty right now.  My coworker Judy insists that this time in your life (you know, pre-wedding and pre-marriage) is exciting and fun.  Exciting, for sure, and I'm trying to stay zen and have faith that it will all work out in the end.  No matter what little decisions we have to make along the way.

To that effect, I took a bit of a lingering worktime-walk this afternoon near the historic house.  Granted, I was in the house to get a task done, but I took my time and walked across the freshly-cut grass of the lawn and just soaked in the warmth.  Deep breath.

per usual

I've been running the roads, per usual this past week:   A friend's baby shower; St. Patrick's Day carousing; and three days at a work conference about 18th-century alcohol (yes, this is my job).  On Sunday we ventured up to Alexandria, Virginia to meet up with my cousin, his wife, and their son for a brunch with Grandma and the rest of my family.  We were ten people sharing good food and brushing cat hair off our butts (poor Jessica and Amy and their allergies).  Good times, but too short a visit.

Tomorrow I've taken the day off of work in celebration of my 35th birthday.  I always take my birthday off, but because it falls on a Saturday this year, I figured Friday would work too.  The highlight:  opening night viewing of The Hunger Games with the beau and some friends.  And who knows what else I'll get myself into...

some attention

A work from home day means that I can use my lunch break to tackle quick housekeeping tasks - like changing over laundry to the dryer or unloading the dishwasher.  But working from home also means that I get the chance to notice how much I need to tidy, put away, clean, and otherwise pay some attention to my domestic surroundings.  With a somewhat longish-distance relationship going on (about an hour drive apart), I would admit that the normal weekend housekeeping has been largely ignored in favor of hanging out with the beau when I have the chance.  But with him working late tonight and me tomorrow morning, I actually have tonight and tomorrow morning all by myself (sniff) and plan on getting some chores done once the work day has ended.  An exciting Friday night?  Maybe not, but I'll certainly feel better when I get some things in line.  Wish me luck.

Rain, snow, wind, sunshine; I'm not sure whether it is winter or springtime.  The crocus are popping up on the grounds at work and the forsythia branches I cut from my own yard are now blooming in a vase in the living room.  Springtime (including my birthday) cannot arrive soon enough for me.  I long for warm afternoons when I can get out and take long walks to the library or farmer's market or just read outside.  I especially long for springtime vegetables - asparagus and English peas are at the top of my list.

I'll leave it at that for now.  I'm about to head into crazy work mode next week, and gosh, even into the next with some conferences and site visits.  Until then...

P.S. Crazy after-Valentine's Day candy sale at Target has now supplied me with SweeTarts jelly beans and hearts and I fear a massive sugar coma is about to commence.  Lunch today included those addictive jelly beans.  Who knew that you could get jelly beans outside of Easter?!  But I digress...

Twisty

My, my, time flies when you're having fun.  I've been work-work-working (had to work Sunday in addition to my normal days), so what did we do on my one day off this weekend?  We looked at old stuff (like I don't get enough of that as a museum curator, yet it was totally my idea).  The Fredericksburg Big Flea was going on this weekend and we spent a good part of Saturday trolling the aisles for deals and just having fun looking at all the goodies.  And I bought nothing except the tickets to get in.  I was slightly disappointed with the a)selection - way too much refinished furniture and b)price - I do know what things should go for, and some of these definitely weren't bargains.

Oh, but we ate too.  Yes, my life has a theme of eating, working, and looking/taking pictures of nature.  Simple life, simple loves.  But back to the eating:  Wegman's Seafood Bar.  Amazing baked spiced tofu with fresh green beans, a big glass of red wine, and we split some pretty delish bread pudding for dessert.  Yes, good food at a grocery store.  I don't know why I'm so surprised.

This twisty tree I spotted on my work patrol on Sunday and it spoke to me.  Pictures of that tree and a few crocuses popping up along the visitor path are all that have littered my camera lately.  Oh, and pictures of some desserts that I baked (yes, baked now that I have a functioning oven) for dinner with the beau tonight.  But more on that later.  If the dessert turned out...

name that wood

Often I have to take a look at my iPhone camera roll to remember what I've been up to.  A little sad that my memory needs visual reminders (be they photographs or notes in my planner/Google calendar), but it's also nice to have a sort of diary to look back on (the idea behind Instagram).  But I did have to laugh at one series of photos that I caught on my phone when stopped at a traffic light on my evening commute late last week.  Views of the cut ends of tree trunks heading for the mill.  I played a little game of "name that wood" and was pretty pleased with myself, except that the red ones puzzled me.  Some sort of oak?  Sometimes I amuse myself.  And really that's what this blog (and life in general) is about - having fun.

Speaking of fun, we attempted homemade gnocchi the other night using a recipe for pumpkin gnocchi (don't recall where I got the recipe).  One pound of potatoes, one cup of pureed pumpkin, 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour, fresh sage from the garden (yes, we've had that nice of weather that my sage survives), salt and pepper.  I need to practice my sauteing technique, though, because the gnocchi stuck to the cast iron pan and I kept adding oil until the gnocchi became donuts.  Or at least tasted like them.  A second batch went directly in the freezer and we'll probably just boil those and not saute them.  A little culinary experimentation.

Tonight I take one of the cats (Gracie) to the vet for an overnight stay.  Bright and early tomorrow she gets her teeth cleaned.  I know she's going to hate it (not that I let on that we were doing that tonight, otherwise I'd come home to find her crammed under the guest room bed).  Think good thoughts for my sweet (albeit bossy) little girl.

totally into

Things I'm totally into right now:

~ Wearing my hot pink quilted vest over everything.  Even when inside the office.  Or at home.  Normally I wear it just for running (since it has an iPod holder and key pocket), but I've been really cold lately and find that keeping my core warm makes all the difference.  Plus, I look good in pink.

~ True Blood.  We've just started season two and although I have to roll my eyes at some of the "romance," it really is a fun and exciting show.  Just enough blood.  Maybe not enough sex.  But that's just me.

~ The new gallon-sized zipper bags that just arrived from Love for Earth (see Kara's etsy store).  I got a small snack size as a free gift when I ordered napkins and produce bags last year and loved it for using in my lunchbag to pack carrot sticks or cookies or crackers.  Now, two gallon-sized in lime green (with turquoise zipper) and bright yellow (with hot pink zipper).  No more buying plastic zip bags for me - I had just used the last in the box, and although I do wash and reuse, I knew the last couple in circulation wouldn't last forever.  These are easy to clean and they're cute to boot.

~Knee socks.  Not just for boots, I wear these to work as often as I can (see keeping warm, above).  I need more.  I'd like a funky polka dot pair to add to the stripes and argyle already in circulation.

Work has been a bit crazed this week with meetings for a new building project and filmings in some of our historic structures and answering all sorts of public inquiries and working on a major talk I have coming up in mid-February.   This weekend, normally when I look forward to a little calm, promises to be just as busy with a special tour at the museum and the biweekly visit to my grandmother's.  I think a trip to Trader Joe's might be in order though, and perhaps a stop at Ikea.  I've pinned a rug (the Millinge square black & white checked rug) that I'd love to see in person and maybe use in the office (which is still much in need of some attention)...

out from under the covers

I've been pressing the snooze button like a demon this week.  I think because I got off to a rocky sleeping start on Sunday night due to the Golden Globes and me staying up past my bedtime (normally around 10:30pm).  Once I get on a bad sleep cycle, it's hard to get off.  I like sleep.  And yet I'm totally a morning person and also like to be up and about for a good bit (sipping coffee, checking e-mail, etc.) before I head off to work.  How to balance those two impulses is sometimes a challenge.

This morning I finally got up at a reasonable hour and went for a run (in the dark) and made it to work just a little late.  I call that a major success.  Of course likely Colette disagrees, as she often will disdainfully move aside for me to get out from under the covers only to head back to bed, settling directly on the warm spot I've just vacated.  Smart girl.  When I got back from my run this morning she allowed me to make the bed, but you can tell from this snap that she could not quite understand why I'd want to be out from under the covers on such a chilly morning.

I've made the switch to the wintertime duvet on the bed, which certain makes me want to burrow in the covers at nighttime.  Crazy colors on my bed right now:  blue/multicolor stripe duvet, small flowered quilt across the foot of the bed, and crazy floral and patchwork crocheted pillows at the head.  Not shabby chic florals, mind you, but a little bit bright and wacky.  I'm itching to redecorate a room right now, although don't think it'll be the bedroom.  Pinterest has become a haven for me and my big ideas.  Come and find me there if you're on Pinterest too.  Me and my chevron accent walls and tiled floors and painted sisal rugs.

fuzzy

Honestly, the return to work was less than pleasant, topped off by the fact that I had to work as duty officer the first weekend back.  Now I find myself wondering what day it actually is, and in fact my friend Meghan and I disagreed on it last night over dinner when she stated that yesterday (Tuesday) was Monday and I insisted it was Wednesday.  Guess I'm not the only one a bit fuzzy with going back to full-time work after the holidays.

The Christmas decorations are still up in the house, and the office is still a bit untidy, but the hellebores in the front garden are starting to bud, so all seems like it'll be okay.

Eeek!

Brrrrr...chilly weather is settling in for the weekend and I am wishing that I actually took the time on my day off to unpack my winter clothing and put away my summer.  Yes, I have too many clothes if they have to hang in seasonal shifts.  I am well aware of that.  But that doesn't change the fact that my tank tops and cute summer skirts won't keep me warm this weekend.  So I'm layering scarfs and hoping for the best.

Met up with a girlfriend last night for dinner in downtown Fredericksburg and was really pleased to see that Halloween decorations were on display in more than one storefront.  Wittingham always has the best (most creative and well-executed) decorations at Christmas, but must admit that I'd never noticed Halloween before.  Props to them and some of their neighbors for getting into the spirit.  Now I just need to carve that pumpkin that my mother brought me as a gift this week.  Then I'll be one step closer to having actually decorated/prepared for the holiday myself.  Candy purchasing might also be a good step.  If I don't want my house egged, that is.

And in other (obsessive) news, I have succumbed to Pinterest.  Took the plunge.  Haven't started pinning yet, but we'll see how it goes...eeek!  Now that's scary.

sighs of relief (and a lemon verbena pedicure)

Thank you everyone for your words of encouragement during my latest work stress.  It is over and I'm breathing sighs of relief.  These past few days I've been enjoying getting back to normal by spending time with friends and loved ones.  Happy hour with Dogfish Head Punkin Ale (thanks for converting me Theresa!); Friday night movie night at the Byrd Theatre with the original 1925 silent Phantom accompanied by a Wurlitzer organ; visiting baby Esther and her mom; Oktoberfest potluck; hanging with Grandma; and finally a spa trip with  my mother (seaweed wrap, pumpkin facial, and lemon verbena pedicure).

It is good to be back in my happy place.  I spent yesterday after my mother left doing a lot of cleaning, finally mowing the lawn (sorry it took me so long, backyard-neighbor Steve), going for a run in the BEAUTIFUL weather, and making tortilla soup.  Oh, and catching up on the latest Downton Abbey Season 2 episodes online.  Maggie Smith is a riot.

the decline of mashed potatoes

The windows are open, the washing machine is churning, and I have the new Design Sponge at Home book to page through.  I'm enjoying a personal holiday - a day off from work that I didn't actually officially get - after a long weekend away.  I've already taken a bubble bath and it's not even 2:00pm.

The beau and I took a road trip over the weekend; about 20 hours in the car (him driving except for a short two hours where I provided a nap break) through seven states.  Crazy?  A little.  But definitely worth it to see college girlfriends Theresa and Mommy Esq. and their husbands and children.  Given our foodie interests (and my WPA academic ties), we devoured The Food of a Younger Land on cd during the drive.  Amusing and fascinating, especially one particular Federal Writers Project author's obsession with the decline of mashed potatoes.  Hmmm.  Guess you had to be there.

So today I alternately lounge and tidy the house and just enjoy the day.  The couch is a perfect perch for the above-mentioned lounging and a view of the newly-blooming peace lily.  If I can gather the motivation, perhaps a run this afternoon.  Or perhaps a nap.

details

Missed the farmers' market CSA bag this weekend, but still have some fresh veggies on hand (and more that I picked up) to tide me over until Saturday.  Arugula salad with over easy eggs and balsamic vinegar dressing fit the bill one night.  A quick dinner of whole wheat pasta, fresh peas, lemon-flavored olive oil another evening.  Nothing fancy.  Nothing with a recipe.

We had a little bit of rain recently and the grass shot up in response.  Mowing the lawn brings such a sense of satisfaction, doesn't it?  To look out over a freshly-shorn lawn is much like looking at a newly-vacuumed carpet.  Makes me happy.  Don't judge.

However, the lack of rain has also meant that the snap peas I planted a while back have withered and died.  I have hopes for the herbs and lettuce, but we'll see.  I'm trying to not get too invested in the edible garden this summer since I will be gone for over one month and won't be able to tend to it.  Makes me a little sad.

Slowly making my way through Jane Eyre (the Penguin hardcover with Coralie Bickford-Smith cover, of course).  Reading it for the first time since college (gasp!), I am finding myself enjoying the details of the story and language.  Finding little quotes that I read aloud just for the pleasure of their imagery. Next up on the purchase list:  either Tess of the D'Urbervilles (love!) or Wuthering Heights.  Can't decide...

fleeting

In lieu of baby pictures, I tend to take flower and food pictures.  I apologize to all who will invariably sigh and say, oh another picture of squash. Or in this case poppies.  But I must admit that growing things in my garden seems still like such dumb luck that I feel the need to document my good fortune.  And the garden is ever-changing this time of year - the poppies budding in the beginning of the month bloomed and have since fallen just two weeks later.  Fleeting moments.  So you'll just have to keep sighing and put up with it.  Thank you in advance.

I cannot recall for the life of me much of what has been occupying my time over the last couple of weeks except for an especially busy (and emotionally-draining) time at work and a bit of a family emergency with my 89-year-old grandmother.  But with things settling back down a bit, I've been enjoying the sense of calm that comes after such a storm.

On Thursday I was off from work and enjoyed the beautiful! weather with Elizabeth and L. and their beautiful children.  A picnic in the park and then some antiquing with L. in downtown Fredericksburg.  For our main picnic fare I made a version of this particular pasta salad recipe (using edamame instead of peas), which I really thought called for WAY too much feta cheese, but L. and Elizabeth insisted it was balanced by the acid/lemon.  So a somewhat success.

Chilly and rainy weekend ahead.  The grass needs a good mowing (with my new electric lawn mower!) but will have to hold off until it dries out a bit.  I DO need to get the snap peas into the garden, though.  The seedlings are going hog-wild on the kitchen table and I'm afraid they'll link up with the ceiling fan if I don't get them outside and on a trellis asap.

saturday morning

I was up early this morning to pick up my car from the repair shop. Normally I would laze around on a Saturday morning - no husband, kids, or dogs to get me up and out. But Jason at the repair shop was pretty adamant about the 8am pick-up, so there you go. So now the house is clean, coffee has been drunk, and I'm ready for a crafting day with some of my girlfriends. Only I have two hours until they arrive.

So I went out in the garden and cut some forsythia branches. Put them in the new beautiful, frosty glass vase from anthropologie that I treated myself to around the new year. Looking forward to the little yellow buds to burst forth.

This shot of the living room gives you a good sense for how the place has developed, even though I've never really done a 'decorating' sort of post. [Forgive the empty coffee table - ready for crafting.] Pink walls (that are almost neutral in the morning light), striped rug, colorful throw pillows. I've developed a bit of a color palette that has really covered the whole house (the tiny four-room house). Based on a painting, a rug, and a pair of throw pillows. Not sure it's a long-term palette, but I'm having fun living in a colorful, girlie house for now.